Rubber heel for shoes.



G. GAMBINO.

RUBBER HEEL FOR SHOES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 6, 1915.

1,159,758. Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

awuewto'a UNITED STA ES PATENT orrion.

G- ASPARI GAMBINO, 0F BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

RUBBER HEEL FOR SHOES.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GAsrARI GAMBINO, a citizen of the United States of America, re-

siding at Birmingham, in the county of J efferson and State of Alabama, have invented in rubber heels for shoes which are particularly designed to eifect a ventilation of the shoe by the automatic pumping of air as the wearer walks through perforations in the heel and sole of the shoe.

A further feature of my invention relates to the novel construction of a cushioning and air pumping rubber heel as adapted to be applied to any type of shoe and in providing the heel, in the case of new shoes, with an integral surrounding rubber flange which will give the effect and appearance of a whole rubber heel.

A further feature of my invention relates to the very novel and simple manner of conducting the air as pumped into the shoe by the heel to points under the arch of the foot without involving any special or expensive arrangement of the soles and linings to accomplish this end.

My invention further comprises the novel details of construction and arrangements of parts which in their preferred embodiment only, are hereinafter more particularly described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a plan view of the insole. Fig. is a view of the arched plate cover. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through the heel part of the sole of the shoe, the view being taken on the line zv-w of Fig. 5. Fig. 4 is a reduced plan view of the rubber heel detached. Fig. 5 is a front end view of Fig. 4.

Similar reference numerals refer tosimilar parts throughout the drawings.

My invention is shown as embodied in a new shoe,th0ugh obviously it is adapted for use in repairing shoes. The shoe as shown comprises an outer sole '1, an arched metal shank 2, a layer of fabric, leather, or like material 3 is placed over the shank, and on this layer is superimposed the insole 4. The heel is built up by a leather top layer 5 and Specification ofLetters Patent. fgtgnted Nov, 9 1915 Application filed July 6, 1915. Serial No. 38,345.

a rubber pad or tread portion 6, both of which are attached to the outer sole 1 in any manner well understood. The rubber heel is provided with a substantially triangular shaped recess 7 in its inner or upper face and opposite this recess the outer face of the pad is thickened by an integral or attached portion 8 so as to present a convex surface which projects below the flat tread surface of the heel pad. Within the recess 7 I 11 and 12 respectively, which are arranged as shown in Fig. 2 to form a spaced row around the heel and also a center row disposed longitudinally of the shoe. The arched shank 2 stops short of these holes but the, layer 3 extends rearwardly over this perforated heel portion of the outer sole and has a longitudinal center slot 13 which extends from near the forward end of the shank to a point near the rear end of the layer where it is narrowed to form a contracted slot 14: which extends through the rear end of the lining and opens over the air slot 10 in the rear end of the insole. The slots 13 and 14 overlie the center row of holes 11, -12, and I provide a plurality of branch slots 15 which lead from the slot 13 and overlap the holes 11, 12 forming the outer row. The insole 4: is provided with a rear set of holes 16 arranged to register with the holes 11, 12, and it is also provided with a group of smaller holes 17 which extend forwardly of the holes 16 and register with the front end of the slot 13.

Preferably the rubber heel portion 6 is provided with an integral marginal flange 18 which surrounds all but its forward edge and extends high enough to receive and cover the leather layer 5 and to extend to the outer sole 1, thus giving the appearance of a whole rubber heel. Where my invention, as a rubber heel pad, is used to repair shoes, it is not desirable to use this flange 18, and it can be either omitted or trimmed from the rubber heel section and the latter applied in the manner of a standard rubber heel. Under these conditions it may be more convenient to arrange an air inlet port 19 for the recess 7 by punching or providing a hole through the front wall of the recess.

.In practice, after the shoe and heel parts have been assembled in the manner described, as the wearer walks, the depression of the convex portion 8, with each step, and its reverse outward movement, due to its own elasticity and the pressure from the spring 9, will cause an alternate suction of air into and its ejection from the recess 7, the ejected air being passed out through the alining openings 11 and 12 into the slots of the lining 3, from which it escapes through the ports 16 and 17 into the shoe. Inasmuch as the pressure of the wearer will come on the heel at the time of the ejection of air from the recess 7 and at this time the weight of the wearer will partially close ports 10, it follows that the greater bulk of the air will have been forced into the shoe. The springs 9, of which any desired number may be used, cooperate in an important manner in maintaining the convex portion 8 of the heel positioned so as to receive the initial impact of the tread of the foot on the pavement and to give the heel a more pleasant and desirable cushioning effect than where the flat heel is used. Moreover this arrangement of the rubber heel will, to an extent. relieve the excessive wear on the rear edge of the heel and cause it to be taken more uniformly over the whole heel.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a shoe, a heel comprising a compressible rubber air pump, an outer sole having ports communicating with said pump and the outer air, a shank layer slotted longitudinally from near its forward end through its rear end and having branch slots, which slots communicate with said ports leading both to the pump and the outer air, and an insole having rear ports registering with said outer sole ports and forward .ports in register with the forward end of the longitudinal slot in the shank layer, substantially as described.

2. In combination in a shoe, an outer sole, a leather heel portion attached thereto, a rubber pad attached to said heel portion, said pad having a recess in the middle portion of its upper face and a convex projection below its under face opposite said recess, a marginal. flange on the pad extending above the joint between the outer sole and leather heel portion, and a spring seated in said recess above the convex projection thereunder and adapted to engage said leather heel portion overhead, there being an air passage leading from said recess into theinside of the shoe and through the back of the shoe above said flange.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

hi GASPARI GAMBINO.

mark

Witnesses:

R. D. JOHNSTON, Jr.,

NOD-HE VELSH. 

